Do 529 plans expire or have a time limit?

No — 529 plans have no expiration date and no required age by which the money must be used. This is one of their best features. If your child delays college, takes a gap year, or skips it entirely, the account simply keeps growing tax-free. You can leave the funds invested indefinitely, change the beneficiary to another family member, or hold the account for a future grandchild — some families pass 529s down across generations as a multi-decade tax-free growth vehicle. (Coverdell ESAs, by contrast, generally require funds be used by age 30, which is one reason 529s are more popular.) Because there's no deadline pressure, over-saving is low-risk, especially now that up to $35,000 can roll into the beneficiary's Roth IRA. There's no rush to spend it down.